Automotive vehicles and other machines having multiple electrical systems typically use wire harnesses to interconnect and supply power to the electrical systems. Such wire harnesses usually terminate in multi-pin electrical connectors which mate with other harnesses and/or electrical components. It is often necessary to secure an electrical connector at the end of a wire harness to some portion of the vehicle's structure, such as a sheet metal body panel. In certain installations, the connector must be secured to prevent its rotation relative to the panel. This is the case, for example, when a second connector must be mated with a first connector after the first connector is secured to a body panel, especially when the first connector is obstructed so that an assembly person must make the connection using only one hand, and/or when the assembly person's view of the connector is obstructed.
Such a rotation-resistant mounting is commonly achieved by providing two spaced holes in the panel, and by providing the connector with a fastener having a pair of projections or stems spaced to engage the holes in the panel. An example of such an anti-rotational fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,151. In this patent, one of the fastener stems takes the form of what is commonly known as a "Christmas tree" clip, having resilient, conical barbs which flex inwardly when forced through a hole and then expand to resist being pulled out. The second fastener stem need only prevent the connector from rotating about the axis of the Christmas tree clip, and may therefore be referred to as an anti-rotation stud.
The various manufacturers of automotive vehicles and other wire harness-using machines have not settled upon a standard spacing between the mounting holes used to secure electrical connectors. Accordingly, a company wishing to supply anti-rotational fasteners to several such manufacturers must provide a variety of different fasteners with different spacing between the stems. This results in increased cost to the supplier of anti-rotational fasteners, since each different type of fastener requires separate tooling. This lack of standardization also complicates production decisions, since fasteners manufactured in anticipation of an order from a first manufacturer cannot be shipped to a second manufacturer if the two do not use fasteners having the same stem spacing.